The oil industry's preferred method of marine spill response in the United States is the use of chemical dispersants. The use of such dispersants serves a useful purpose since it does cause the oil to sink out of sight, eliminating the severity of surface associated phenomenon such as oil soaked birds and the like. Unfortunately, many of the dispersants listed in the EPA National Contingency Plan's Product Schedule have inherent toxicity issues, which often times exacerbate the problem. As a result of their application, the oil/dispersant mixture is brought to much lower depths, where the presence of this toxic blend causes a variety of problems over time.
The problem with dispersants is illustrated by what has been occurring in the Gulf of Mexico subsequent to the BP oil spill. The testing authorities often use outdated and minimal testing procedures for dispersants, which results in an underestimation of the chemicals' impacts to marine and human life. Many of the reported chemicals in dispersants are known human health hazards; as are many of the proprietary chemicals incorporated therein. Dispersants have been linked, or heavily implicated, with the widespread occurrences of lesions and maladies in fish and shellfish, dolphin deaths, and dramatic decline in populations of some Gulf species such as shrimp and killifish.
As a result of past catastrophic events such as the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, and the recent oil spills that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, we have all become aware of the dire need to properly address the situation without further damaging the environment and destroying animal and sea life.
This long felt need for a non-toxic, solvent free dispersant has been provided by the instant inventors as disclosed in related U.S. Pat. No. 8,415,286, which issued on Apr. 9, 2013. The unique dispersant product of the '286 patent, designated DXR-02™ has been shown to efficiently breaks down grease, grime and crude oil at the molecular level, by breaking down the hydrocarbon chains and preventing the oil molecules from ever reforming again.
Once DXR-02™ comes in contact with the oil, any agitation (such as motion of the waves and currents in the ocean) will accelerate the breaking down process of the oil, leaving DXR-02™ to biodegrade within 9 to 12 days. After this process is completed, the dispersed oil will be naturally absorbed back into the environment, without any further damage or danger to nature.
In order to provide an improved product having superior capabilities for degrading both hydrocarbons and lipids, the instant inventors have determined strains of microorganisms which are compatible with the DXR-02™, and have the ability to enhance the action of the surfactant, for example in soil remediation, by providing a microbial degradation function for hydrocarbons, lipids, and combinations thereof.
DXR-02™ is a clear, slightly yellow liquid that is formed from a proprietary blend of cleansers and surfactants and a high dilution of pure water. The unique blend of ingredients exhibit the ability to break down the hydrocarbon chain and prevent any reconnection, thereby resulting in a unique oil dispersant utility. The pH of about 8.5 renders it non-alkaline, which in turn makes it good for the environment. Water being the catalyst, the more water you use the better it works. DXR-02™ represents a 50% dilution of DXR™, which is the concentrate. Depending upon the application, a choice can be made as to use of the diluted or more concentrated product. For mixtures with microbes for soil remediation and the like, DXR™ is generally used.